In the City of St. Louis, a glorious monument to an era when function
followed beauty rises above some of the city's most charming and
historic neighborhoods. Compton Hill Water Tower, located in Compton
Hill Reservoir Park along Grand Avenue, is preserved as a mid-19th
century engineering masterpiece. Built in the late-19th century on the
highest point in the city it was designed as part of the city's public
water supply system.

One of only
seven surviving such towers in the United States
(two others are also
in St. Louis), it was listed on the National Registry of Historic Places
in 1972. It sits in Reservoir Park, flanked by a large, classic statue
that celebrates the city's newspaper heritage, a lily pond and walking
paths. The park is always open to the public, while the Tower itself is
frequently open for touring. It is owned by the St. Louis Water Division
and maintained through the joint efforts of the Division and the Water
Tower & Park Preservation Society.